Thomas Wright, Jr., eldest son of the immigrant Wethersfield, Conn settler Thomas Wright and first wife Mary Cranbrook, baptized Aug. 13, 1630 at Southweald, Essex, England. Thomas Jr. died testate Aug. 24, 1683 in Wethersfield, Conn. As recorded in the Wethersfield records, on June 16, 1657 Thomas m. Elizabeth Chittenden, dau. of William Chittenden and Joanna Sheaffe, immigrant settlers of Guilford, Conn. According to Elizabeth's death record she was b. in England after Feb 17, 1637/8.
Beyond being the elder brother of Samuel and Joseph (both the writer's ancestors), the following biographic material is for the purpose of correcting classic genealogical errors in 100+ year old published works while proving beyond any thread of doubt that Thomas Wright, Jr. and Elizabeth Chittenden were NOT the parents of James Wright, a well documented early Quaker of Chester County, Penn. whose scattered descendants remained faithful members of the Society of Friends well into the 19th century.
Thomas Wright, Jr. was executor of his father's Apr. 21, 1670 Wethersfield will. On Nov. 25, 1673 Thomas and his nephew Jonathan Smith (son of Joseph) were appointed overseers of the distribution of the estate of Thomas' deceased brother-in-law Joseph Smith to the latter's widow Lydia (Thomas' sister) and their four children (eldest son Joseph Jr. died in April 1673 with the distributors ordered to consider son Joseph as living since he left a living child). Jonathan Smith, son of the deceased, was now the only son of the deceased over the age of 21.
Following is Thomas Wright's probate record published in Charles Manwaring's Early Connecticut Probate Records but corrected from the actual probate documents.
Manwaring: Hartford District Probate Records, 1:390.
re: Probate Vol. IV: Page 151-2.
• Wright, Thomas, Wethersfield, died Aug. 24, 1683. Inventory undated totaling £673-00-00 taken by Samuel Talcott & James Treat, exhibited Dec. 6, 1783. The children: Thomas Wright "aged" 23 years, Mary "aged" 18 years; Hannah "aged" 13 years, and Lydia "aged" 11 years.
• Court Record, Page 76—Dec. 6, 1683: Administration to [son] Thomas Wright with order to distribute the estate; to [son] Thomas a double portion and to the three daughters each a single portion; Samuel Wright [the deceased's brother] and Samuel Butler to be Overseers.
Thomas Wright and Elizabeth Chittenden had four children of record at Wethersfield, all of whom were born long before 1752 when the English converted from the Julian to the modern Gregorian calendar. All four were born in the month of March prior to the 25th whereas March 25th was the first day of the next Julian calendar year. In the modern calendar all pre-1752 English calendar dates from January 1st thru March 24th are historically written as a double year date, with the higher double year the correct year of reference.
• 1. Thomas 3rd, b. Mar. 1, 1660 (i.e., 1660/1); died unmarried leaving an extensive probate record of a nuncupative (verbal) will the day before he died in Wethersfield on Apr. 18, 1711 leaving his entire estate to his three married sisters and their respective children ;
• 2. Mary, b. Mar. 4, 1665 (i.e., 1665/6), d. Wethersfield Sept. 8, 1741, Æ 76 (g.s.); m. Jonathan Belden (q.v. Belding) Dec. 10, 1685 in Wethersfield, s. of John Belden (q.v.) and Lydia Standish (no known relation to Miles Standish of the Mayflower), b. Jan. 21, 1660 (i.e., 1660/1) and d. July 6, 1734 in Wethersfield, Æ 74 (g.s.) - six children of record at Wethersfield.
• 3. Hannah, b. Mar. 10, 1670 (i.e., 1670/1), d. Apr. 27, 1698, Æ 28 but has no surviving g.s.; m. as his first wife in Wethersfield Mar. 7, 1688/9, Col. David Goodrich, s. of Ensign William Goodrich and Sarah Marvin, b. Wethersfield Mar. 4, 1666/7, Æ 88 (g.s.) - five children of the marriage.
• 4. Lydia, b. Mar. 12, 1672 (i.e., 1672/3), d. before Aug. 17, 1731 when her unmarried daughter Martha petitioned the probate court for a division of 1/2 of her deceased mother's "thirds" or dower rights bequeathed in her husband's 1707 will; m. Sept. 13, 1695 in Wethersfield, Israel Crane, s. of Benjamin, b. in Wethersfield Nov. 1, 1671 and d. testate in Wethersfield Apr. 28, 1707, Æ 36. Israel has no known gravestone - four children of the marriage.
Elizabeth (Chittenden) Wright died of record in Wethersfield Feb. 17, 1675/6, Æ 38. Husband Thomas died of record Aug. 24, 1683. Neither one has a surviving gravestone, but very few gravestones prior to the early 18th century have survived at the Wethersfield Village Cemetery, which was the only cemetery that existed in Wethersfield when Elizabeth and Thomas died:
In Alvan Talcott's 1882 Chittenden Family: William Chittenden of Guilford, Conn. and his Descendants , Talcott claimed that Thomas and Elizabeth (Chittenden) Wright had the same above four children, gives their Julian calendar birthdates from the Wethersfield records failing in 1882 to convert them to the post-1752 modern Gregorian calendar. He also added a fifth child, daughter Elizabeth, born on the same recorded date that Elizabeth (Chittenden) Wright died. No such child named Elizabeth is recorded in the Wethersfield town records and no daughter Elizabeth is included in Thomas Wright's will.
Talcott further claimed that Thomas and Elizabeth (Chittenden) Wright's son Thomas Wright 3rd married Sarah Benton, whereas the Guilford VRs state Sarah Benton was the daughter of Edward and Anna Benton born in Guilford Nov. 4, 1650. She m. a Thomas Wright in Guilford on Dec. 9, 1673. Thomas Wright 3rd of Wethersfield was only 12 years old on the foregoing date when then 23 year old Sarah Benton married. The Thomas Wright who m. Sarah Benton died of record in Guilford Dec. 6, 1692 and his widow Sarah d. 19 days later on Dec. 25, 1692. The origins of Thomas Wright, husband of Sarah Benton, have never been uncovered.
12/14/2015
Beyond being the elder brother of Samuel and Joseph (both the writer's ancestors), the following biographic material is for the purpose of correcting classic genealogical errors in 100+ year old published works while proving beyond any thread of doubt that Thomas Wright, Jr. and Elizabeth Chittenden were NOT the parents of James Wright, a well documented early Quaker of Chester County, Penn. whose scattered descendants remained faithful members of the Society of Friends well into the 19th century.
Thomas Wright, Jr. was executor of his father's Apr. 21, 1670 Wethersfield will. On Nov. 25, 1673 Thomas and his nephew Jonathan Smith (son of Joseph) were appointed overseers of the distribution of the estate of Thomas' deceased brother-in-law Joseph Smith to the latter's widow Lydia (Thomas' sister) and their four children (eldest son Joseph Jr. died in April 1673 with the distributors ordered to consider son Joseph as living since he left a living child). Jonathan Smith, son of the deceased, was now the only son of the deceased over the age of 21.
Following is Thomas Wright's probate record published in Charles Manwaring's Early Connecticut Probate Records but corrected from the actual probate documents.
Manwaring: Hartford District Probate Records, 1:390.
re: Probate Vol. IV: Page 151-2.
• Wright, Thomas, Wethersfield, died Aug. 24, 1683. Inventory undated totaling £673-00-00 taken by Samuel Talcott & James Treat, exhibited Dec. 6, 1783. The children: Thomas Wright "aged" 23 years, Mary "aged" 18 years; Hannah "aged" 13 years, and Lydia "aged" 11 years.
• Court Record, Page 76—Dec. 6, 1683: Administration to [son] Thomas Wright with order to distribute the estate; to [son] Thomas a double portion and to the three daughters each a single portion; Samuel Wright [the deceased's brother] and Samuel Butler to be Overseers.
Thomas Wright and Elizabeth Chittenden had four children of record at Wethersfield, all of whom were born long before 1752 when the English converted from the Julian to the modern Gregorian calendar. All four were born in the month of March prior to the 25th whereas March 25th was the first day of the next Julian calendar year. In the modern calendar all pre-1752 English calendar dates from January 1st thru March 24th are historically written as a double year date, with the higher double year the correct year of reference.
• 1. Thomas 3rd, b. Mar. 1, 1660 (i.e., 1660/1); died unmarried leaving an extensive probate record of a nuncupative (verbal) will the day before he died in Wethersfield on Apr. 18, 1711 leaving his entire estate to his three married sisters and their respective children ;
• 2. Mary, b. Mar. 4, 1665 (i.e., 1665/6), d. Wethersfield Sept. 8, 1741, Æ 76 (g.s.); m. Jonathan Belden (q.v. Belding) Dec. 10, 1685 in Wethersfield, s. of John Belden (q.v.) and Lydia Standish (no known relation to Miles Standish of the Mayflower), b. Jan. 21, 1660 (i.e., 1660/1) and d. July 6, 1734 in Wethersfield, Æ 74 (g.s.) - six children of record at Wethersfield.
• 3. Hannah, b. Mar. 10, 1670 (i.e., 1670/1), d. Apr. 27, 1698, Æ 28 but has no surviving g.s.; m. as his first wife in Wethersfield Mar. 7, 1688/9, Col. David Goodrich, s. of Ensign William Goodrich and Sarah Marvin, b. Wethersfield Mar. 4, 1666/7, Æ 88 (g.s.) - five children of the marriage.
• 4. Lydia, b. Mar. 12, 1672 (i.e., 1672/3), d. before Aug. 17, 1731 when her unmarried daughter Martha petitioned the probate court for a division of 1/2 of her deceased mother's "thirds" or dower rights bequeathed in her husband's 1707 will; m. Sept. 13, 1695 in Wethersfield, Israel Crane, s. of Benjamin, b. in Wethersfield Nov. 1, 1671 and d. testate in Wethersfield Apr. 28, 1707, Æ 36. Israel has no known gravestone - four children of the marriage.
Elizabeth (Chittenden) Wright died of record in Wethersfield Feb. 17, 1675/6, Æ 38. Husband Thomas died of record Aug. 24, 1683. Neither one has a surviving gravestone, but very few gravestones prior to the early 18th century have survived at the Wethersfield Village Cemetery, which was the only cemetery that existed in Wethersfield when Elizabeth and Thomas died:
In Alvan Talcott's 1882 Chittenden Family: William Chittenden of Guilford, Conn. and his Descendants , Talcott claimed that Thomas and Elizabeth (Chittenden) Wright had the same above four children, gives their Julian calendar birthdates from the Wethersfield records failing in 1882 to convert them to the post-1752 modern Gregorian calendar. He also added a fifth child, daughter Elizabeth, born on the same recorded date that Elizabeth (Chittenden) Wright died. No such child named Elizabeth is recorded in the Wethersfield town records and no daughter Elizabeth is included in Thomas Wright's will.
Talcott further claimed that Thomas and Elizabeth (Chittenden) Wright's son Thomas Wright 3rd married Sarah Benton, whereas the Guilford VRs state Sarah Benton was the daughter of Edward and Anna Benton born in Guilford Nov. 4, 1650. She m. a Thomas Wright in Guilford on Dec. 9, 1673. Thomas Wright 3rd of Wethersfield was only 12 years old on the foregoing date when then 23 year old Sarah Benton married. The Thomas Wright who m. Sarah Benton died of record in Guilford Dec. 6, 1692 and his widow Sarah d. 19 days later on Dec. 25, 1692. The origins of Thomas Wright, husband of Sarah Benton, have never been uncovered.
12/14/2015
Thomas Wright, Jr., eldest son of the immigrant Wethersfield, Conn settler Thomas Wright and first wife Mary Cranbrook, baptized Aug. 13, 1630 at Southweald, Essex, England. Thomas Jr. died testate Aug. 24, 1683 in Wethersfield, Conn. As recorded in the Wethersfield records, on June 16, 1657 Thomas m. Elizabeth Chittenden, dau. of William Chittenden and Joanna Sheaffe, immigrant settlers of Guilford, Conn. According to Elizabeth's death record she was b. in England after Feb 17, 1637/8.
Beyond being the elder brother of Samuel and Joseph (both the writer's ancestors), the following biographic material is for the purpose of correcting classic genealogical errors in 100+ year old published works while proving beyond any thread of doubt that Thomas Wright, Jr. and Elizabeth Chittenden were NOT the parents of James Wright, a well documented early Quaker of Chester County, Penn. whose scattered descendants remained faithful members of the Society of Friends well into the 19th century.
Thomas Wright, Jr. was executor of his father's Apr. 21, 1670 Wethersfield will. On Nov. 25, 1673 Thomas and his nephew Jonathan Smith (son of Joseph) were appointed overseers of the distribution of the estate of Thomas' deceased brother-in-law Joseph Smith to the latter's widow Lydia (Thomas' sister) and their four children (eldest son Joseph Jr. died in April 1673 with the distributors ordered to consider son Joseph as living since he left a living child). Jonathan Smith, son of the deceased, was now the only son of the deceased over the age of 21.
Following is Thomas Wright's probate record published in Charles Manwaring's Early Connecticut Probate Records but corrected from the actual probate documents.
Manwaring: Hartford District Probate Records, 1:390.
re: Probate Vol. IV: Page 151-2.
• Wright, Thomas, Wethersfield, died Aug. 24, 1683. Inventory undated totaling £673-00-00 taken by Samuel Talcott & James Treat, exhibited Dec. 6, 1783. The children: Thomas Wright "aged" 23 years, Mary "aged" 18 years; Hannah "aged" 13 years, and Lydia "aged" 11 years.
• Court Record, Page 76—Dec. 6, 1683: Administration to [son] Thomas Wright with order to distribute the estate; to [son] Thomas a double portion and to the three daughters each a single portion; Samuel Wright [the deceased's brother] and Samuel Butler to be Overseers.
Thomas Wright and Elizabeth Chittenden had four children of record at Wethersfield, all of whom were born long before 1752 when the English converted from the Julian to the modern Gregorian calendar. All four were born in the month of March prior to the 25th whereas March 25th was the first day of the next Julian calendar year. In the modern calendar all pre-1752 English calendar dates from January 1st thru March 24th are historically written as a double year date, with the higher double year the correct year of reference.
• 1. Thomas 3rd, b. Mar. 1, 1660 (i.e., 1660/1); died unmarried leaving an extensive probate record of a nuncupative (verbal) will the day before he died in Wethersfield on Apr. 18, 1711 leaving his entire estate to his three married sisters and their respective children ;
• 2. Mary, b. Mar. 4, 1665 (i.e., 1665/6), d. Wethersfield Sept. 8, 1741, Æ 76 (g.s.); m. Jonathan Belden (q.v. Belding) Dec. 10, 1685 in Wethersfield, s. of John Belden (q.v.) and Lydia Standish (no known relation to Miles Standish of the Mayflower), b. Jan. 21, 1660 (i.e., 1660/1) and d. July 6, 1734 in Wethersfield, Æ 74 (g.s.) - six children of record at Wethersfield.
• 3. Hannah, b. Mar. 10, 1670 (i.e., 1670/1), d. Apr. 27, 1698, Æ 28 but has no surviving g.s.; m. as his first wife in Wethersfield Mar. 7, 1688/9, Col. David Goodrich, s. of Ensign William Goodrich and Sarah Marvin, b. Wethersfield Mar. 4, 1666/7, Æ 88 (g.s.) - five children of the marriage.
• 4. Lydia, b. Mar. 12, 1672 (i.e., 1672/3), d. before Aug. 17, 1731 when her unmarried daughter Martha petitioned the probate court for a division of 1/2 of her deceased mother's "thirds" or dower rights bequeathed in her husband's 1707 will; m. Sept. 13, 1695 in Wethersfield, Israel Crane, s. of Benjamin, b. in Wethersfield Nov. 1, 1671 and d. testate in Wethersfield Apr. 28, 1707, Æ 36. Israel has no known gravestone - four children of the marriage.
Elizabeth (Chittenden) Wright died of record in Wethersfield Feb. 17, 1675/6, Æ 38. Husband Thomas died of record Aug. 24, 1683. Neither one has a surviving gravestone, but very few gravestones prior to the early 18th century have survived at the Wethersfield Village Cemetery, which was the only cemetery that existed in Wethersfield when Elizabeth and Thomas died:
In Alvan Talcott's 1882 Chittenden Family: William Chittenden of Guilford, Conn. and his Descendants , Talcott claimed that Thomas and Elizabeth (Chittenden) Wright had the same above four children, gives their Julian calendar birthdates from the Wethersfield records failing in 1882 to convert them to the post-1752 modern Gregorian calendar. He also added a fifth child, daughter Elizabeth, born on the same recorded date that Elizabeth (Chittenden) Wright died. No such child named Elizabeth is recorded in the Wethersfield town records and no daughter Elizabeth is included in Thomas Wright's will.
Talcott further claimed that Thomas and Elizabeth (Chittenden) Wright's son Thomas Wright 3rd married Sarah Benton, whereas the Guilford VRs state Sarah Benton was the daughter of Edward and Anna Benton born in Guilford Nov. 4, 1650. She m. a Thomas Wright in Guilford on Dec. 9, 1673. Thomas Wright 3rd of Wethersfield was only 12 years old on the foregoing date when then 23 year old Sarah Benton married. The Thomas Wright who m. Sarah Benton died of record in Guilford Dec. 6, 1692 and his widow Sarah d. 19 days later on Dec. 25, 1692. The origins of Thomas Wright, husband of Sarah Benton, have never been uncovered.
12/14/2015
Beyond being the elder brother of Samuel and Joseph (both the writer's ancestors), the following biographic material is for the purpose of correcting classic genealogical errors in 100+ year old published works while proving beyond any thread of doubt that Thomas Wright, Jr. and Elizabeth Chittenden were NOT the parents of James Wright, a well documented early Quaker of Chester County, Penn. whose scattered descendants remained faithful members of the Society of Friends well into the 19th century.
Thomas Wright, Jr. was executor of his father's Apr. 21, 1670 Wethersfield will. On Nov. 25, 1673 Thomas and his nephew Jonathan Smith (son of Joseph) were appointed overseers of the distribution of the estate of Thomas' deceased brother-in-law Joseph Smith to the latter's widow Lydia (Thomas' sister) and their four children (eldest son Joseph Jr. died in April 1673 with the distributors ordered to consider son Joseph as living since he left a living child). Jonathan Smith, son of the deceased, was now the only son of the deceased over the age of 21.
Following is Thomas Wright's probate record published in Charles Manwaring's Early Connecticut Probate Records but corrected from the actual probate documents.
Manwaring: Hartford District Probate Records, 1:390.
re: Probate Vol. IV: Page 151-2.
• Wright, Thomas, Wethersfield, died Aug. 24, 1683. Inventory undated totaling £673-00-00 taken by Samuel Talcott & James Treat, exhibited Dec. 6, 1783. The children: Thomas Wright "aged" 23 years, Mary "aged" 18 years; Hannah "aged" 13 years, and Lydia "aged" 11 years.
• Court Record, Page 76—Dec. 6, 1683: Administration to [son] Thomas Wright with order to distribute the estate; to [son] Thomas a double portion and to the three daughters each a single portion; Samuel Wright [the deceased's brother] and Samuel Butler to be Overseers.
Thomas Wright and Elizabeth Chittenden had four children of record at Wethersfield, all of whom were born long before 1752 when the English converted from the Julian to the modern Gregorian calendar. All four were born in the month of March prior to the 25th whereas March 25th was the first day of the next Julian calendar year. In the modern calendar all pre-1752 English calendar dates from January 1st thru March 24th are historically written as a double year date, with the higher double year the correct year of reference.
• 1. Thomas 3rd, b. Mar. 1, 1660 (i.e., 1660/1); died unmarried leaving an extensive probate record of a nuncupative (verbal) will the day before he died in Wethersfield on Apr. 18, 1711 leaving his entire estate to his three married sisters and their respective children ;
• 2. Mary, b. Mar. 4, 1665 (i.e., 1665/6), d. Wethersfield Sept. 8, 1741, Æ 76 (g.s.); m. Jonathan Belden (q.v. Belding) Dec. 10, 1685 in Wethersfield, s. of John Belden (q.v.) and Lydia Standish (no known relation to Miles Standish of the Mayflower), b. Jan. 21, 1660 (i.e., 1660/1) and d. July 6, 1734 in Wethersfield, Æ 74 (g.s.) - six children of record at Wethersfield.
• 3. Hannah, b. Mar. 10, 1670 (i.e., 1670/1), d. Apr. 27, 1698, Æ 28 but has no surviving g.s.; m. as his first wife in Wethersfield Mar. 7, 1688/9, Col. David Goodrich, s. of Ensign William Goodrich and Sarah Marvin, b. Wethersfield Mar. 4, 1666/7, Æ 88 (g.s.) - five children of the marriage.
• 4. Lydia, b. Mar. 12, 1672 (i.e., 1672/3), d. before Aug. 17, 1731 when her unmarried daughter Martha petitioned the probate court for a division of 1/2 of her deceased mother's "thirds" or dower rights bequeathed in her husband's 1707 will; m. Sept. 13, 1695 in Wethersfield, Israel Crane, s. of Benjamin, b. in Wethersfield Nov. 1, 1671 and d. testate in Wethersfield Apr. 28, 1707, Æ 36. Israel has no known gravestone - four children of the marriage.
Elizabeth (Chittenden) Wright died of record in Wethersfield Feb. 17, 1675/6, Æ 38. Husband Thomas died of record Aug. 24, 1683. Neither one has a surviving gravestone, but very few gravestones prior to the early 18th century have survived at the Wethersfield Village Cemetery, which was the only cemetery that existed in Wethersfield when Elizabeth and Thomas died:
In Alvan Talcott's 1882 Chittenden Family: William Chittenden of Guilford, Conn. and his Descendants , Talcott claimed that Thomas and Elizabeth (Chittenden) Wright had the same above four children, gives their Julian calendar birthdates from the Wethersfield records failing in 1882 to convert them to the post-1752 modern Gregorian calendar. He also added a fifth child, daughter Elizabeth, born on the same recorded date that Elizabeth (Chittenden) Wright died. No such child named Elizabeth is recorded in the Wethersfield town records and no daughter Elizabeth is included in Thomas Wright's will.
Talcott further claimed that Thomas and Elizabeth (Chittenden) Wright's son Thomas Wright 3rd married Sarah Benton, whereas the Guilford VRs state Sarah Benton was the daughter of Edward and Anna Benton born in Guilford Nov. 4, 1650. She m. a Thomas Wright in Guilford on Dec. 9, 1673. Thomas Wright 3rd of Wethersfield was only 12 years old on the foregoing date when then 23 year old Sarah Benton married. The Thomas Wright who m. Sarah Benton died of record in Guilford Dec. 6, 1692 and his widow Sarah d. 19 days later on Dec. 25, 1692. The origins of Thomas Wright, husband of Sarah Benton, have never been uncovered.
12/14/2015
Inscription
Thomas has NO known gravestone. He is not included in Tillotson's 1899 published inventory of then standing or readable gravestones in the old Wethersfield Village cemetery. In 1899 only three readable gravestones of persons who died prior to 1700 existed at that cemetery, and this Thomas Fuller was not one of them.
